This Mother's Day, we'd like to recognize and celebrate mothers by telling the stories of five special chimpanzees.

Some of the stories, like Foxie's, whose children were taken from her while they were still babies, are heartbreaking. Others, like Teresa's, who gave birth to a surprise baby, have a happy ending. But all of the stories carry an important message.

Not unlike humans, chimpanzee babies in the wild have extremely close relationships with their mothers and typically stay with them for several years before emigrating to other groups. However, for chimpanzees forced to live in laboratories, as entertainers, and as pets, as these chimpanzees were, the reality is often very different.

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The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions to The Humane Society of the United States are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The HSUS's tax identification number is 53-0225390.